Vatican backs European personhood initiative

From LifeSiteNews:

The Vatican is backing a petition campaign in the European Union that seeks a debate about enshrining personhood for the unborn from the moment of conception.
The Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Laity says the campaign, which must gather at least one million signatures from 7 EU states by May 11th, 2013, is a "significant opportunity to send a wake-up call to the people of Europe."
While the EU cannot change the laws of member states to protect unborn life, the petition aims to ensure the EU respects life in its areas of competence, particularly in terms of development aid and scientific research.
The petition's organizing committee includes representatives from 21 pro-life organizations in 21 EU states. The campaign involves a coordinated effort by Christian associations and movements across the continent with the support of educational and cultural activities in each of the 27 states, and organizers hope to secure far more than minimum of a million signatures.
According to the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the organizers view the effort as "far more than a need," saying it "is in fact urgent."

Read the rest here. Could Cardinal Burke, who is strongly pro-personhood, be an influence here?

In October 2011, the Wisconsin Personhood Amendment was introduced in the Wisconsin legislature, the first time personhood has been proposed as law in the state. Read more about the Wisconsin Personhood Amendment here.

LifeSiteNews did a brief article about a recent animated video PLW did about personhood, which you can read here.